Tips and tricks for fun in the snow

Thomas Brennan and Christoper Thomas / Halifax News Service

Tuesday

Jan 28, 2014 at 12:01 AMJan 28, 2014 at 12:42 PM

Wintry weather means outdoor activities for some

Let the fun and games begin.

“There are so many games you can play in the snow,” said Melonie Marzette, the community services supervisor for Jacksonville Recreation and Parks. “You just have to remember to be safe and play by the rules.”

She cites snow tag, snowball fights, making snow angels, building snowmen, playing snow football or whatever else your mind can think up as just a few ways of enjoying the weather. Growing up in Ohio, snow was never in short supply; but now that she is in Eastern North Carolina, she said the flurries will surely remind her of her childhood years.

Two eyes made out of coal

Building anything with snow such as a snowman takes time and the first snowball, which serves as the base of the snowman, will determine how big you can build your snowman, according to Marzette.

“You can make your snowman as big or small as you want, but the base has to be big enough to support the rest of the snowman,” Marzette said. “You make the two other balls and place them on top. Then we stuck two brooms as arms and buttons for eyes. You can decorate it however you want. It’s meant to be fun.”

Marzette remembers making snowmen so huge that she had to stand on milk crates to reach the top, but with only four to eight inches of snow expected, she doesn’t anticipate any getting that big, she said. She does recommend using food coloring, skittles or other unique items to decorate the snowman and make it as unique as possible.

Ready to step up from a snowman? Sandi Adams, the owner of SandiCastles of Wilmington, a sand sculpting business, recommends that you use your imagination and just have fun.

“If you can build in sand, you can build in the snow,” Adams said. “If you have the right snow you can build just about any design or shape. You just pack it like you would sand and then carve it to build whatever you can imagine. All kinds of things are possible.”

In order to make a big carving Adams agreed Onslow County will need to more than the forecast four to eight inches. A design too small won’t highlight the necessary details so it is important to make the sculpture a decent size, she said.

“Pat the snow down into nice chunks or piles with all the air out,” she said. “If you’re not sure what to do, get a picture of something and try to create that. If you have long and low snow, try to create something that is low and long like a dolphin. If you have high piles of snow, try to do something taller and skinnier. Do whatever intrigues you and use your imagination. That’s the real trick.”

Playing fair

Before you decide to have a snowball fight it is important to remember a few rules to keep participants safe and having fun, she said.

“Basically with snowball fight etiquette, you try not to hit the face and don’t put anything in the snowball,” she said. “You don’t hit cars. You don’t freeze the snowballs with water because someone can get really hut. You want the soft fluffy stuff.”

Other ways to have fun include snow football where you make a football out of snow and play against teams of four to six people. The game, she said, is always tackle because the snow acts as a cushion making it fairly safe.

“We used to play snow tag which is where you make a perimeter that everyone has to stay in,” Marzette said. “The person that was ‘it’ would throw snowballs, and if they hit you then you were out. The good thing is that you can play with as many players as you can get in there.”

If you can find a hill, Marzette recommends getting some cardboard to go sledding, which offers a fast, exciting experience that mimics a roller coaster ride.

“Even if you want to do something simple like making a snow angel, snow can offer a lot of fun,” she said. “All you do is lie on the ground and spread your arms and legs out back and forth. When you stand up, have a friend help you step inside the angel and then hop out. It’s that easy.”

How to make snow cream:

While anybody can go to the store and pick up a pint of their favorite ice cream flavor, snow cream is an easy to make rare treat for the area.

Most of the ingredients can be found in an everyday kitchen: milk, sugar and vanilla.

The Disney Family recipe suggests mixing 1 cup milk, up to 1/2 cup granulated sugar, a 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and 4 to 6 cups of freshly fallen snow (one recipe suggests placing a bowl outside to catch the flakes) to feed four. Or mix a can of sweetened condensed milk and a bit of vanilla with eight cups of snow for a richer version

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